Drop end gondola car



6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rnm NH O. INGRAM DROP END GONDOLA CAR Sept. 11, 1951Filed Feb. 14, 1946 Sept. 11, 1 951 0. INGRAM DROP END GONDOLA CAR 6Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 14, 1946 H H NW M NN w W Wu H N m M H W N Q wMN Sept. 11, 1951 o. INGRAM DROP END GONDOLA CAR 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FiledFeb. 14. 1946 Sept. 11, 1951 o. INGRAM 2,567,287

DROP END GONDOLA CAR Filed Feb. 14, 1946 GSheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 11, 1951o. INGRAM 2,567,287

DROP END GONDOLA CAR Filed Feb. 14-, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 11,1951 o. INGRAM DROP END GONDOLA CAR 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Feb. 14, 1946Patented Sept. 11, 1951 [UNITED 124 :lfENT ()l'E'FlCZlii?.-

:iDBOl sp GONDOLA CAB Orville: Ingram, Washington, D. C. Applicationfiebrua ry 14, 1946, Serial No. 647,608 I My invention relates torailway freight ca'rs'and particularly to gondola cars havinguoors'hmged to'the car body in a manner requiring that their swingingmovement from open position to closed position be performed inopposition to the action of "gravity.

' 1 The invention is particularly useful in connection with the drop enddoors of gondola cars which commonly weigh approximately 850'poundsapiece. Considerable difilculty is, therefore, usually experienced inmoving the doors upwardly from their horizontal open positions to theirclosed vertical" positions. Two or more workmen are required to effectclosure of these drop end doors'or else some mechanical means, such,'for example, as a crane which is not often available, must be employed.

The principal object of the invention is to provide simple and effectivemechanism capable of practical application to a railway car, forimparting to a hinged car door, whose swinging ovement from openposition to closed position'iis opposed by the action of gravity, aforce generf ated by the opening movement of the door itself which tendsto force the door toward closed position. 7

A primary feature of theinvention consists'in providing, a railway cardoor with a pair of brackets secured to the door adjacent the sidesthereof and a pair of brackets immovably secured to the car bodyadjacent the sides of the door.,

a torsion rod being connected to the door bracket at one side of thedoor and being connected to the car bracket at the opposite side thereofso that, when the door is moved to open position,:the rod is energizedto provide a force tending to return the door to closed position.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing a door with apair of relatively inclined torsion rods adjacent the hinged edgethereof which are respectively connected at their opposite ends'to thedoor and to the car'body adjacent the opposite edg'es of the doorso thatopening movement of the doorwill energize 'the rods -tdl provide a forcetending toreturnthedoor closed position.- A'fui ther'feature of theinvention-consistsin providing the side walls of a railway gondola caradjacent opposite side edges of a drop end door with portions to whichthe ends of torsion rods arranged adjacent the hinged edge of thedoormaybe connected. v

A further featureof the invention consists in: so fo'r'ming the ends ofthe torsion rods secured- 9 Claims. (Cl. 105-406) 1 I :l

2 L. to the car body that they serve as pivotal ino'unt ingsforthe'doori Astill further feature of the invention consists inarranging a torsion rod which tends to-retui'n the hinged door towardclosed position on' 'the outside of'the door where'itwill not come iricontact with ladin'gwithin-thecar. i 1 g 1 v F Asti-ll furtherfeature'of the invention consists 'inproviding "a" pivoted railway car door witha pair of torsion rods whose opposite ends are respectively connected tobrackets carried by the door and to brackets mounted on the car body,the brackets on'the' door being formed with laterally projecting'pintles for hingedly associating the door'withthe'carv g Still anotherfeature of: the invention consists in providing a drop. end door of agondola car with brackets adjacent the lowercorners thereof respectivelyhaving hub portions engageable with the floor of the car and affording arotatable supportifor'the door;

-:Still another; feature of the invention consists in providing'adropend door of'a railway gondola;

car-with a pairof relatively inclined torsion rods whoseopposite endsareadapted to be immovabl-y secured tothe door-and the car body and inproviding the door Withbracketshaving hub portions -affording a,pivotalsupport for thedoo r,

of the i nvention.

' Figure '2 is a sectional'view" takenon-line '2-- 2 'F C 3:" 'Figures 3and-4 are enlarged fragmentarys'ec tional view taken on lines 33 and 44, resfiee r'i i re js is a view sirnila'r to Figure 1 'iuiistm'tgfinganother form-of-tlie invention applied to theouter face of the dropend door, the'lower portion of the view being taken on a linecorresponding toline 5-5' of Figure 8 and the side walls of th car beingshown-in section Figure G is an enlarged front view of oneof thecastings which are secured to the door at} the lower corners thereof.

Figure 7 is an end view of the casting shown in Figure 6.

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged detail sectional views on lines 8-8 and9--9, respectively, of Figure 5.

Figure 10 is an enlarged view adjacent one corner of the door as seenfrom the outside of the car.

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken on line I I II of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 1 illustrating a third embodimentof the invention.

Figure 13 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line l3-I3 of Figure12.

Figure 14 is an enlarged view adjacent a lower corner of the door.

Figure 15 is an enlarged sectional view showing one of the bracketssecured to'the car body and the adjacent end of the torsion rodconnected thereto.

,Referring moreparticularly .to Figures 1 to A of the drawingsillustrating one form of the in: vention, I indicates the drop end doorof a railway. gondola car having sides 2, a floor 3 and an underframe-4of usual construction.

- The underf-rame consists of a center ,sill and side sill members whichinclude side sills 6. and floor supporting angles 37. The floor ispreierably'formed bya plurality of transversely extending wood planks-orboards which are supported at their ends 'on'the horizontal inturnedflanges of the :floor supporting angles. The side walls-of the car areof conventional construction comprising side sheets 8 which, togetherwith conventional side stakes are rigidly secured at their .lowerportions to the side sill members 6 and .L The .upperportions of theside sheets and :side stakes :are secured to :top chords or bulb angles9 shown in Figures 5 and 12 of the drawings.

At their ends, each side wall is provided, as usual, with corner postsIt] having portions affording an abutment or stop for the end door whenin upright closed position. As is well known, the doors are held inclosed positions by mechanism (not shown) carried-by theside wallsadjacent the ends thereof.

' Extending transversely of the door adjacent the lower edge thereof area plurality of torsion rods H which are so connected to the door and toadjacent parts of the car "body that, when the door is moved toward openposition, the rodsare twisted and thereby exert a force tending toreturn .the door toward closed position. Atits lowercorners, the dropend door is provided with brackets l2 each of which has a plate portion13 rigidly .secured to the main body portion of the door and .anangularly disposed plate portion 14 rigidly ,secured to inturned sideflanges l5 of the door. The plate portions =14 are-ofisetinwardly, asindicated at IE, to provide substantially parallel .por-tions whichextend downwardl to the bottom-of "the door.

Adjacent the side edges of the door and sextendinginwardly into thespaces afforded by the offsets in the plate portions M of the doorbrackets are brackets I] which are immovably connected to the car body,being preferably secured ,to the side walls 8 of the car. As seen inFigure 4, each of the-car brackets preferably includes a plate portionl8 for attachment to the adjacent side of the car and a polygonal recessI9 of substantially ;.U shape defined by upwardly inclined sides 20which are connected at their lower ends by a wall 2|.

One of the ends of the torsion rods H fit within the polygonal recessesI9 in the car brackets while the opposite ends of the rods fit withininwardly opening polygonal sockets 22 in the inwardly offset portions ofthe car brackets. The ends of the rods within the recesses l9 may beremovably secured therein by a block 23 securely held in position by .avbolt 24.

Just inwardly of the-carbrackets I! the ends of the torsion rods whichare connected thereto are formed with circular portions 25 of greaterdiameter than the rods themselves which are disposed within circularopenings 26 formed in the inwardly offset portions of the door bracketsbelow the sockets 2.2'. These enlarged circular portions 25 of the rodsform pivotal mountings for the door on which the door is pivotallysupported, it being seen from the drawings that the lowermost :portionsof .the doorbrackets .and of the door itself are positioned sufiicientlyabove the rfloort that the ,door may freely rotatev on theportions 25.

As the opposite ends of each rod arerespectively held by one of the doorbrackets and the car bracket adjacent the .opposite edge of the door,the rods will be twisted when .the ldooris moved from its closed uprightposition toward its horizontal closed position. Thus movement of thedoor from closed to open position energizes the torsion rods so that aforce is set up'in them tending to move the door toward ,closedposition.

To prevent lading from contacting the torsion rods and thereby possiblyinjuring them and pre-' venting them'from acting in'the manner desired,they are preferably enclosed by a cover 2! which may be welded to the,door adjacent its upper edge and which at its lower edge maybeconveniently riveted to an inturned flange 2 8 of the door.

The form of the invention-illustrated in Figures "5 to' 11, inclusive,is applied to a railway gondola car having generally the same structuralfeatures as the car illustrated in the form of'the invention justdescribed and cor-responding features of the two cars are, therefore,designated by similar reference numerals.

In this embodiment of the invention, the-torsion rods 29 are arranged onthe outer-face of the door instead of the inside face where the ladingwithin the car will be unable to contact them. The positioning of therods on the outer face Of the door without decreasing the ladingcarrying capacity .of the car is accomplished by arranging the rodsirran outwardly opening .corrugation :30 at thelower edge of thedoor.Instead of being provided with :the customarily in-v turned flangesthereof, the drop enddoorjis provided with .zoutturned side :ttmarginaliizfianges g3l Positioned at the lower cornersoi the'door are b acke s32 ach of which isl'forme Witha plate portion 33 securedto the main bodyportion of the door and with an. outwardly extending plate portionv 34secured to the adjacentside flange 3!. The platepor-tions'34 ofthebrackets arerecessed, as indicated at 35, and on opposite sides thereofthe plates are connected ;to the main plates .33 of the brackets bysubstantiallytriangular reinforcing flanges 36,.

Positioned in. each of the recesses 35is one end of .one ofthe-torsion-rods29 which extends :toward the adjacent side wall of thecar and :is rigidly connected therewith. Projecting from one side oftheportionwof the plate, below the recess 35 is a polygonal socket 31for, receiving the corresponding end of the other torsion rod.Projecting from the opposite side of the lower portion of the plateportion 34 is a trunnion or hinge pintle 38. w v v The trunnions of thebrackets secured to the door are rotatably supported in brackets 39carried by the car body. Each of the brackets 39 preferably includes aplate portion 40 adapted to be rigidly secured to the adjacent side wallof the car and a substantially U shaped recess 4| having substantiallyhorizontally arranged arms or legs 42. The trunnions 38 extend into theU shape recesses M and are removably secured therein by brackets 43connected bybolts 44 or other suitable means to one of the arms 42.Above the recesses 4| each of the car brackets 39 is formed with apolygonal socket 45 for receivihg the correspondingly shaped end of thetorsion rodwhich extends through the recess 35 in. the car bracket.

As in the embodiment of the invention heretofore described, the oppoisteends of the torsion rods are respectively securely held in the doorbrackets 32 and in the car brackets 39 so that, when the door is swunginwardly from its upright closed position, the rods are twisted andthereby provide a force tending to return the door to closed position Asthe trunnions 38 bearing in the recesses 4| in the car brackets 39support the entire weight of the door, the lower edge of the door may beconveniently curved outwardly and upwardly as indicated in Figure 8.Thus no portion of the door adjacent its hinged edge with the exceptionof the trunnions38 engages the car floor as the door is being swung toeither open or closed position. In-the embodiment of'the inventionillustrated in Figures 12 to 16, the railway gondola car illustrated isof substantially the same construction as the gondola car illustrated inthe first described embodiment of the invention and correspondingfeatures of car construction are, therefore, designated withcorresponding reference numerals. The floor. of the car, however, inthis embodiment of the invention is shown as being formed of metal plateinstead of wood, and it may beconveniently connected to the side wallsof the car by welding or any other suitable means.

The brackets secured to the lower corners of the door and designated bythe reference numeral 45 areeach formed with a plate portion 41 securedto the main body of the door and with an angularly disposed plateportion 48 secured to the adjacent inturned flange49 of the door. Theside plate portions 48 of the brackets angle inwardly and form the topwalls of sockets 50 for receiving one end of each of the torsion rodsThe sockets 5B are preferably open at both ends and triangular flanges51 are positioned at the outer ends thereof to prevent the cooperatingtorsion rods 52 from being pushed all the way through the socket.

Below the sockets 50, the door brackets are provided with hub portions53 whose peripheries engage the floor of the car and, therefore, afforda rotatable support, The central portion of each of the hubs 53 isapertured as at 54 through which the corresponding end of the othertorsion rod extends for connection to the car body.

Positioned at opposite sides of the door are brackets 55 preferablyhaving plate portions 56 by which the brackets may be secured to the car6 sides. Each bracket 55 has an upwardly opening recess 51 for receivingthe polygonal end 58 of the torsion rod which extends through theopening inthe central portion of the hub of the adjacent door bracket.Rotatably mounted in one of the walls of the recess 51 is a bolt 59having a nut 60 which overlies the adjacent end of the torsion rod andretains it in the recess, Each of the car brackets may also be providedwith an upstanding wall or flange 62 which is adapted to partiallyoverlap the hub portions 530i the brackets 46. The walls 62 of thebrackets are spaced sufficiently from the upstanding legs 63 of an endangle 64 to receive the hub portions of the door brackets and to preventlateral shifting thereof The inwardly opening corrugation 65 at thebottom of the door in which the torsion rods are disposed may beconveniently closed by a cover plate 66 to protect the rods from ladingwithin the car. :j,

Various modifications may be made in the structural details of theembodiments of the invention illustrated without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a railway car having an underframe and a bodysupported thereby, the combination with an end door whose swingingmovement to closed position is opposed by the action of gravity, of apair of relatively inclined torsion rods extending transversely of thedoor adjacent the lower edge thereof, a pair of brackets rigidly securedto the door adjacent opposite sides thereof, and brackets rigid withsaid car body respectively adjacentsaid brackets on the door, one end ofeach rod being rigid with one of the brackets secured to the door andthe opposite end of each rod projecting beyond the bracket secured tothe opposite side of the door into engagement with the bracket mountedon said car body adjacent the opposite side of the door, the portions ofsaid rods that engage the car body brackets serving as hinge members forsaid door, when the door is swung to open position the rods are twistedand thereby exert a force tending to move the door toward closedposition.

- '2. A door mechanism for the drop end door of a railway gondola carinvolving a pair of relatively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversely of the door adjacent the lower edge thereof, brackets rigidwith the lower corners of the door respectively having portions providedwith means to which one of the ends of each of said torsion rods isconnected, and brackets respectively immovably secured to the caroutwardly of said door said brackets on the door respectively havingpor-. tions through which the opposite ends of said torsion rods extendfor connection to the brackets on the car so that when the door is movedtoward open position the rods are energized to provide a force tendingto return the door to closed position, the portions of said rods thatengage the car body brackets serving as hinge members for said door.

3. A door mechanism for the drop end door of .a railway gondola carinvolving a pair of relatively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversely of the door adjacent the hinged edge thereof, bracketsrigid with the lower corners of the door, and brackets rigid with thecar body and respectively disposed adjacent the side edges of the door,the opposite ends of each rod being respectively connected to a bracketon the door and to the bracket on the car adjacent the op- 7 positesideof the door, the portions 'o'f'said rods adjacent the'ends thereofconnected to the brack 'e'ts on the car afiording a pivetal support forthe door;

4. A door mechanism for the dr'ope'nd-door of a railway gondola carinvolving a pair of relatively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversely of the door adjacent the hinged edge thereof, bracketsrigid with the lower corners of the door, and brackets rigid with thecar body respectively adjaceht the side edges of the door, the bracketsen the door respectively having a ertured portions through which one endof each of said rods eX-.

tends, {the opposite ends of each of said rods bein respectivelyconnected to one of the brackets on the door and to the bracket on thecar at the oppesite side of the door, the portions of the rods extendingthrough the said apertures in the car brackets snowing pivotalsnppbrting means for the door.

5; In a door mechanism for the drop-end door of a railway gondola 'c'a'rinvolving a pair of relatively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversel of the door adjacent its lower edge, brackets respectivelysecured to the lower corners of the door, and brackets immovably mountedon the car body respectively adjacent the sides of the deer, 'said rodsbeing respectively provided with polygonal end poi-trons, each of saidbrackets being'provided with-means for engaging one of said olygonalportions to hold it against rotation with respect thereto so that whenthe door is 'moved'to open position said rods will be energized toprovide a force tending "to return the door to closed position, bracketssecured to the door respectively having recessed portions permittingsaid rods to extend beyond them into engagement with the brackets on thecar body, the portions of said rods that engage the car body bracketsserving as hinge'members for said door.

6. in a door mechanism for the drop end door of a railway gondola carinvolving a pair of relatively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversely of the door adjacent its lower edge, brackets rigidlysecured to the adjacent sides thereof and respectively havingportions-offset inwardly from the sides of the door, and brackets rigidwith the car body adjacent opposite side edges of the door andrespectively provided with portions proj'ectihg into the spaces affordedby said oiiset portions of the brackets secured to the door, one end ofeach torsion rod being anchored in the onset portion of one of the doorbrackets and the other end thereof being anchored in the bracket on thecar at the opposite side of the door whereby said rods will be energizedupon an opening movement of the door to provide a force tending toreturn the door to closed position, the portions of said rods thatengage the car body brackets serving as hinge members for said door.

'7. In'adoor mechanism for the drop end door of a railway 'g'ohdel'a carihvolvihg a of relatively inclined torsion rods exten ing transverselyof the door 'ad-j a'eent its lower edge, brackets secured to the door"adjacentopposit'e sides there=- of, anti br'ackets secured to the carbody respectively adjacent the-side edgesof the door, each or thebrackets secured to the car body having an upwardly opening recess, theopposite ends ofeach rod being respectively connected to one of thebrackets on the door and to the bracket on the carat the opposite sideof the door, and removable r'nean's'closing' the upper end of the recessof each of the brackets secured to the car body forlocking the adjacentend of the torsion rod insaid recess, the portions of said rods thatengage the car body brackets serving as hinge members for-said door.

8. In a door mechanism for the drop end door of a railway gondolacarinvolving a pair of rela tively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversely 'of'the door adjacent its lower edge adapted to exert aforce tending *to move the door toward closed position when it isopehed, said rods being provided at each end with a polygonal portion,brackets respectively secured to the lower corners of the door, andbrackets respectively secured to the car body adjacent opposite sides ofthe door, each of the brackets on the "door having a polyg; onal recessfor'receiving one end of one 'cf's'aid rods and also having arecessedportion through which the corresponding end of the other red ex= tendsso that it may be anchored to the adjacent bracket on the car body, theportions of said rods that engage the car body brackets serving as hingemembers for said door.

9. In a door mechanism for the drop end door of a railway gondola carinvolving a pair of rela tively inclined torsion rods extendingtransversely of the door adjacent its lower edge, brackets respectivelysecured to the lower corners of the door, and brackets secured to thecar body ad jacent opposite sides "of the door, each er the brackets onthe car respectively having an up= wardly opening recess for receivingone end of one of the torsion rods, and means associated with eachrecess for preventing upward rnovemeht of the end of the torsion roddisposed therein, the portions of said rods that engage the "car body Ybrackets serving as hing members "for said door.

ORVILLE INGRAM.

REFERENCES oIrEi) I The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number I Name Date 199,383 :Ste'inhofi Jan. 22,1878 514,076 Hotz Feb. 1894 781,643 Edwards l Feb. '1, 1905 1,119,940wards Dec. 8, 1914 2,0 1,318 Qilpin Nov. 17', 1938 2,157, 12 'liatumJuly 25, 1939 2,205,323 nice June 25, 194i) 2,452,163 swarm 062. 26,19423

